Abstract Large-scale changes introduced by industrial agriculture can affect other productive activities such as beekeeping, which heavily depends on floral resources and responsible management of agrochemicals. To assess the long-term effect of soybean expansion on honey production in Argentina, we evaluated the relationships between the area cultivated with soybean and honey yield and total production by managed honeybee (Apis mellifera) hives between 1961 and 2016. Results indicate that the expansion of the area cultivated with soybean since 1996, which involved the replacement of natural habitats with extensive cultivated fields, intensive use of transgenic seeds, agrochemicals and machinery, was associated with a reduction in honey yield of ∼60 %. Furthermore, since 1996 honey yield tended to be lower in years in which the area cultivated with soybean was larger. Causal modelling of this data confirmed a strong negative effect of increasing soybean cultivation on Argentinean honey production via decreasing yield during the period 1996–2016. Although the underlying mechanisms still need to be disentangled, this work provides support to the hypothesis that the beekeeping crisis in Argentina can relate to soybean expansion. More generally, it provides evidence that industrial agriculture has a negative impact on apiculture.

中文翻译：

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大规模单一栽培降低蜂蜜产量：阿根廷大豆扩张案例

摘要 工业化农业带来的大规模变化会影响其他生产活动，如养蜂业，这在很大程度上取决于花卉资源和农业化学品的负责任管理。为了评估大豆扩张对阿根廷蜂蜜生产的长期影响，我们评估了 1961 年至 2016 年间大豆种植面积和蜂蜜产量与管理蜜蜂（Apis mellifera）蜂箱总产量之间的关系。结果表明扩张自 1996 年以来种植大豆的面积中，包括用大片耕地替代自然栖息地、大量使用转基因种子、农用化学品和机械，与蜂蜜产量减少约 60% 相关。此外，自 1996 年以来，在大豆种植面积较大的年份，蜂蜜产量往往较低。该数据的因果模型证实了 1996 年至 2016 年期间大豆种植增加对阿根廷蜂蜜产量降低产生的强烈负面影响。尽管仍然需要理清潜在的机制，但这项工作为阿根廷养蜂危机可能与大豆扩张有关的假设提供了支持。更一般地说，它提供了工业化农业对养蜂业有负面影响的证据。这项工作为阿根廷养蜂危机可能与大豆扩张有关的假设提供了支持。更一般地说，它提供了工业化农业对养蜂业有负面影响的证据。这项工作为阿根廷养蜂危机可能与大豆扩张有关的假设提供了支持。更一般地说，它提供了工业化农业对养蜂业有负面影响的证据。